Friday, September 4, 2009

My Writing Life: angels dancing on the head of a pin

"Thanks for your query. Mind sending along the first five pages of your manuscript in the body of an e-mail? I'd be happy to take a look and let you know whether the style is the best fit for me."

Can you see the angels dancing? In the last three weeks, I have sent out nine query letters to literary agents, asking them to represent me and my novel The Stone Dragon. The result? Four "no thanks" (the quickest "no" response in thirteen hours), four not yet responding (if ever), and this morning a short request for additional material.

Remember when I said in an earlier post of "My Writing Life" that seeking publication is a pass/fail proposition? I've just received the following message from a New York literary agent: "I'd be happy to take a second look--no promises," and I'm thrilled. No form rejection letter!

Wish me luck! "I think I can.... I think I can...." Meanwhile, I'll continue working on my next book and researching more agents to query.